Chapter 37: Before The War: Inner Reflection (1)
The prepared year and a half seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, it was July 30th, 222 Imperial Year, the day when the war with Chekovia would begin. As planned, the Crown Prince led five divisions, a force of 40,000 soldiers, into the Bruno territory to seize the Bisochea region.
In accordance with this, I and the territorial administrators made sure to treat the Crown Prince and the nobles with the utmost respect, successfully catering to their high standards. As the party wishing for victory in the upcoming war concluded, and the nobles were at rest, the Crown Prince summoned me to his chambers.
Standing before his door, I knocked and spoke,
“Your Highness, it is Lieutenant Peter Yaeger. May I enter?”
“Come in.”
Having received permission, I carefully opened the door.
“Then, pardon my intrusion, Your Highness.”
Upon entering, I immediately kneeled and bowed in accordance with the empire’s etiquette,
“Lieutenant Peter Yaeger is here to serve Your Highness.”
“We have much to discuss. Raise your head and stand.”
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
I saw various emotions in his eyes. Unlike our last meeting, where he only showed goodwill, now, he seemed to be grappling with the pressure of leading 40,000 soldiers, the anxiety of defeat, and the expectation of victory, emotions any war commander, high or low, would face.
“Lieutenant Yaeger, before we discuss the war, I have a question from Count Benner about Lieutenant Laura. Is she performing her duties well?”
Actually, by this time, Count Benner would have met Laura and heard about our cooperative and friendly relationship, as well as her proficiency in her duties. He would report any private matters to the Crown Prince whenever needed.
So, the Crown Prince didn’t need to ask this question. Asking was probably his way of starting the conversation on a good note.
“She graduated at the top of her class from the academy and has been performing her duties almost flawlessly since day one. Despite having no experience leading even a squad, she has efficiently conducted company-level training sessions, earning admiration from other company commanders.”
“I never expected the daughter Count Benner had always bragged about to be this competent outside the academy. However, she seems very interested in military strategy and theory, often asking me about military science, making me feel like a military science professor at the academy.”
Hearing this, the Crown Prince patted my shoulder.
“You have a competent subordinate. Bear with it.”
We briefly talked about Laura, and the Crown Prince changed his expression, asking seriously,
“I would love to hear more, but let’s get to the main point. I granted you this territory and asked you to prepare for the invasion of Chekovia. How are the preparations going?”
Then I replied confidently,
“We have secured enough preserved radishes, beans, wheat, barley, and hardtack for 40,000 people for three months and enough delicacies like salted meat and cheese for a month. We’ve also arranged adequate lodging and inns and improved the roads within the territory for passing supply merchants.”
The Crown Prince, looking astonished, commented,
“Excellent. Being able to prepare such a vast amount of preserved food in a territory with only 3,000 peasants is truly remarkable. Did you prepare for the worst-case scenario where supply merchants might not arrive?”
“Yes, Your Highness, we’re prepared to collect food from the peasants in the territory in exchange for appropriate compensation.”
The Crown Prince, satisfied with the preparations, decided to assign me the first mission of the operation, surprising me as I was expecting to move to Chekovia with the Crown Prince’s army in a day or two.
However, I couldn’t object to anything less than a life-threatening order from someone of higher rank than a four-star general, so I prepared myself to receive the order according to protocol.
“I, as the Supreme Commander of this war and Crown Prince of the Empire, command Lieutenant Peter Yaeger. Our troops are set to face Chekovia’s army in the Bisochea region, but we lack proper intel on Bisochea’s terrain, which belongs to the enemy nation. Therefore, Lieutenant Yaeger, I order you to lead a battalion immediately and conduct reconnaissance three days ahead of the main force. Obtain detailed information and provide a report regularly.”
Normally, leading just a battalion into enemy territory would be akin to openly asking for death, but scouting the surroundings of the forthcoming battlefield with one battalion wasn’t a very dangerous task under the current circumstances.
This was because if a whopping force of more than 40,000 soldiers from the Reich Empire were advancing from a location three days away from the Yaeger battalion, the enemy would be gathering soldiers from across Chekovia, including the Bisochea region, to prepare for the upcoming battle.
Given these conditions, performing the role of an advanced reconnaissance battalion could be considered a relatively safe mission to gain merit as long as we stay alert.
“Your command is received, Your Highness. May I inquire about the extent of discretion allowed in managing the troops?”
The Crown Prince, perhaps expecting this question, replied with a smile,
“Battles at battalion level are forbidden unless attacked first. Civilian slaughter or murder is also prohibited. However, if deemed necessary, small-scale battles, looting, obstruction, and sabotage are permissible at the discretion of the on-site commander. But remember, you alone bear the responsibility for discretionary actions.”
It was a very rational directive because if a reconnaissance battalion engaged with an enemy battalion for too long and its location was revealed, it could face concentrated attacks from nearby enemy forces and could be annihilated. And this would lead to delays and disadvantages for the main force arriving later.
“Understood, Your Highness. When should we set out?”
“Prepare to depart immediately after breakfast tomorrow. Best of luck.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
With that, I exited the Crown Prince’s quarters with a respectful bow.
There were indeed various ways to torment Chekovia’s troops while avoiding civilian slaughter, war crimes, and battalion-level engagements. The challenge was making our Chekovian friends utter expressions of admiration when they received my charming gifts.
Then I headed to the expeditionary force’s supply department and borrowed about 20 sets of Chekovia army uniforms, murmuring,
“I shall teach you the art of war.”
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